Document assorting and temporary filing device



June 7, 1932. M, A. THOMETZ DOCMENT ASSORTING AND TEMPORARY FILING DEVICE Filed Deo. 2o. .1928

2 Sheets-Sheet l June 7, 1932. M. A. THOMETZ DOCUMENT ASSORTING AND TEMPORARY FILING DEVICE Filed Dec. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 7, 1932 MATHIAS ANTHONY THOMETZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE KOIILHAAS y.

COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS DOCUMENT ASSOVBTING AND TEMPORARY FILING DEVICE Application :tiled December 20,. 1928. Serial No. 327,225.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for asserting sales slips, checks or other documents of a type used extensively by mercantile, manufacturing, mail order and banking institutions, and has for its main object to provide a device of this character which is operable with the hand holding such a document for opening and raising that plate or leaf of the device beneath which r` the said document is to be deposited and depositing therlatter.,

For example, the cashier of a store or a department of a store, receives cash sales slips or tickets which, after making change and registering the amounts of the purchases, must be assorted according to the sales-persons respective numbers or other designation. Instead of accumulating these slips on a spindle or otherwise, my device permits immediate insertion of each slip into its proper place by the use of one hand, thus permitting operation of cash register or moneychanging machine with the other and effecting a corresponding economy of time. The asserting device of the present invention consists of a series of overlapping pivoted plates each bearing, in this exemplary instance, a number corresponding with that of a sales person, this number being displayed upon a iiange or projection at the free edge of the plate which, normally, lies upon the next forward plate of the series. These flanges are so relatively arranged as to be easily selectively engaged by a finger of the right hand and includes an angularly disposed or rounded lower end portion against which said finger is pressed to raise the desired .plate to admit the right hand and permit deposit of the ticket or slip, the hand being to fall back to normal position.

So far as I am informed, asserting devices of this class have been heretofore so constructed as to require the plates to be raised by the left hand while the tickets are successively inserted by the right hand, the main advantage of the structure of the present invention being that the actual yfiling or assorting can be done with one hand as the slips or tickets may be taken from' the stack then withdrawn to permit the raised plate constitute also the means for bearing the index insignia and, further, disposing the latter in plain view of the operator.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the same as'to permit production of various sizes'with respect to the total number of leaves or plates, to be eected without requiring additional dies, tools or equipment from what is required for any one ofthe several sizes.

Further objects of the invention will be set forth in the following description.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention Fig. 1 is a plan view of an asserting or filing device of the general class above mentioned, constructed in accordance with the invention. Y

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Fig. 4 is a verticaltransverse section of the same. y

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the leaves or plates of the device detached therefrom.

The device comprises a frame which con: sists of a back-plate l. The lower edge of whichis partially cut away to provide two fiat supporting legs 2 which are rubberfooted.

A U-shaped bar 3 is secured at the ends of its arms to said legs 2 by means of the screws engaging in the tapped openings in the said arms, the middle forward portion of said member 3 being curved downwardly and partly covered with rubber l to support the main portion of said member 3 in a horizontal position.

A pair of plates 5, each having an angularly disposed downwardly extending flange 6 provided with an opening in which one of the bent-forward end portions of the arms of the member 3 engage, are rigidly mounted on said member and constitute a support for a member 7 which is riveted to said plates 5, saidmember 7 being a hollow, sheet-metal member substantially triangular in crosssection and presenting an inclined top surface upon which the foremost of a series of plates or leaves 8 normally rests.

The said plates or leaves 8 are made, preferably, of a sheet-metal such as aluminum plate and present a flat body portion which is substantially rectangular. Tb the rear edge portion of each of said plates or leaves there is secured a pair of U-shaped straps 9 which project beyond the rear edge of the leaf or plate and each presents a loop in which a sheet-metal hinge-member 10 is pivotally engaged. Each member 10 consists of a U- shaped portion, the arms of which are joined by a cross-bar integral therewith and engaged in the loop of one of the straps 9.

The depending or free portions of the hinge-members 10 are inserted into crossslots in rubber tubes 11 andthe armsof the member 3 are then inserted into said rubber tubes and, at the same time, through all of the members 10 to thereby anchor the latter in said tubes 11 and firmly support the said tubes, the ends of the latter abutting the legs 2 and the flange of the plate 5.. The crossslots of the rubber tubes 11 are regularly and equally spaced from each other so that the several plates or leaves will present front edges equally spaced apart when said plates 8 are disposed in normal position.

Disposed between the arms of the member 3 are the arms 12 of a U-shaped wire-member which serve to prevent papers disposed between leaves 8 from dropping out of the device. The said arms 1Q are disposed at an elevation substantially flush with the upper portion of the rubber tubes 11 on the arms of the member 3 and are secured at their outer ends to the back-plate 1. |Ihe forward end portion of the last-mentioned wire-member is suitably secured to the middle portion of the member 3 for support thereby.

At the front edge of each of the plates or leaves 8 there is provided an integral upwardly extending flange 13, the base portion of which is preferably curved to pre-sent a convex front surface 14 which merges into the body portion at a tangent or approximately so. This surface 14 may be defined as a cam-surface in that, responsive to pressure thereon by the little finger of the right hand of the operator, for example, it will move upwardlyT andthus turn the plate or leaf 8 with which said flange is integral, on its pivotal axis, thus permitting the fingers of that hand to enter between said plate and the next forward plate, thek slip engaged between the thumb and index finger of said hand being then released and the hand withdrawn leaving the slip between said last-mentioned plates.

The free end portion of each flange 13 is constructed and arranged to receive a label bearing a number, letter of the alphabet or other designation. In order that said designations or index characters may be plainly visible to the operator and the flanges 13 also respectively easily engageable, the plates or leaves are arranged in sets each comprising, for example, ve leaves or plates. In that event the said flanges 13-will be each about one-fifth the width of the plates or leaves and so disposed that the five flanges present a lateral row, each being laterally offset from the next a distance substantially equal to its own width.

In order to facilitate removal of paper slips from between the plates or leaves 8,;

each of the latter is provided in its side edges with V-shaped recesses 15 which thel side edges of the slips will overlap so that the stack contained upon each leaf may be easily engaged between the thumb and index finger of a hand and removed.

In operation the sales tickets, checks, or the like are stacked up face up or down, at a convenient point adjacent the device and are successively engaged along one edge by the `thumb and index finger of one hand and the latter preferably turned to invert the ticket or check as it approaches the plate or leaf 8 to be raised so that the papers deposited will be disposed face down between the plates. Obviously, the device is equally adapted for right or left hand operation and presents a very simple, compact and convenient device for the purpose specified.

It will be apparent that by lengthening or shortening .the member 3 and tubes 11, the number of plates 8 may be varied to suit different requirements.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device of the kind specified, including a series of overlapping flat plates each hinged along its rear edge and having its front and rear edges spaced from the corresponding edges of the plate overlapped thereby, said plates beinggravity-held in overlapped relationV and surface contact with each other, and an upstanding index-carrying member on the front edge of each plate presenting a cam surface extending upwardly and forwardly of the front edge of the plate and engageable by a finger as the latter is moved in a direction to effect its insertion underneath said plate for effecting raising of the latter.

2. A device of the kind specified, including a series of overlapping flat plates each hinged along its rear edge and having its front edges and rear edges spaced from the corresponding edges-of the plate overlapped thereby, said plates being gravity-held in overlapped relation and surface contact with each other,

and an upstanding index-carrying member on the front edge of each plate presenting a surface projecting beyond the front edge of said plate and overhanging and spaced from the front edge portion of the next lower plate for digital engagement to raise the plate equipped With said member as a linger of the operators hand is moved to effect its insertion underneath said plate.

3. A device of the kind specified comprising a frame member including a pair of horizontal parallel bars, a series of plates each equipped With a pair of hinge members having Openings to receive said bars, rubber tubes of larger internal diameter than said bars ldisposed upon the latter and provided with a series of regularly spaced transverse slots, said hinge members projecting through said slots and receiving said bars.

35 MATHIAS ANTHONY THOMETZ. 

